Journey To The Future
by bttf4444
Summary: What happened during Doc's initial trip to 2015? Edited the last couple of paragraphs of this fic.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own Back to the Future.**

_October 26, 2015  
2:00 PM PST_

As soon as the DeLorean time machine had crossed the time barrier, Dr. Emmett Brown looked around himself. He could hardly believe what he saw. There were a bunch of flying cars above him, and there wasn't another land car anywhere in sight. He never really envisioned that the future would look this different.

"Well, Einie," Doc told his faithful sheepdog, Einstein, "I guess we're in the future, now. Where should we go from here, huh?" Doc smiled, as Einstein lifted up his face. "I know, let's try the library. We could find out all about what happened during the last thirty years at the library."

Doc decided to make his way to downtown Hill Valley, and he checked to see if the library was still standing in the same place as it was in 1985. To his amazement, the library was still in the same place - although the building was very different. Doc pulled into the parking lot, as he prepared to step out into this futuristic world.

"Just stay right here, Einie, okay?" Doc said to his dog. "I'll be in the building for a little while. I'll be back soon, though, okay?" Doc smiled, as his dog happily licked his hand.

Doc was feeling a little apprehensive, as he made his way into the library. He smiled to himself, as he noticed the books that were lined up on many shelves. He was pleased that that books would still be around.

Doc took in a deep breath, as he decided to head over to the periodicals section. To his shock, he noticed that one of the shelves were lined with Hill Valley editions of USA Today - while The Hill Valley Telegraph was not anywhere to be seen. One of the newspapers then caught his attention. The headline on the newspaper read "Youth Jailed". The sub-headline under that read "Martin McFly Junior Arrested For Theft".

_Great Scott!_ Doc thought to himself. _This is not good. I should maybe head about two weeks later, and see if he ends up being released from jail. This is not the kind of future that I would like for my young friend._

"Excuse me, mister?" asked a strangely familiar voice behind him. "Are you, by any chance, Emmett Brown?"

Doc was very uncertain of what to say. He glanced over to the side of him, and saw a man who looked like a slightly older version of himself. _How could that be?_ Doc thought, confused. _If I'm in the future, how could it be possible for my older self to be here too?_

"Yes, you are my younger self," the elder man said, smiling. "I gather you came here from 1985?"

"Uh, yeah, yeah, yes, I did," stammered Doc. "How did you guess? How can you be here, too? Do you, for some reason, decide not to go to the future? I mean, if I'm here - then I don't understand why _you're_ here."

"We should head over to my house," suggested Doc's older self. "We shouldn't be discussing this here. Anyway, there is some business that I should cover with you. Marty's life hasn't been very good, lately."

"Yeah, I can see that," Doc said, as he grabbed the newspaper that had the article of Marty's son being arrested.

"That's barely scratching the surface of it," the elder Doc said, grimly. "I really don't even get to see Marty all too often, anymore. He's not the same easy-going young man that he once was."

"So I'm guessing that he never ended up becoming a rock star?" Doc asked. "Marty's not going to be all too happy to hear about this. Can I ask when it was, that Marty's life began to go downhill?"

"Yeah, well," the elder Doc said, sighing, "it happened in late October of 1985. Douglas Needles had dared Marty to race him on the road - and, well, Marty ended up crashing into a Rolls Royce. Not only did Marty break his hand, he was also sued by the Rolls Royce driver. It was that particular event that sent Marty's life on a downward spiral."

"So, weren't you able to go back in time to prevent that accident from happening?" Doc asked, concerned.

"Well, no, I wasn't able to," replied the older Doc, sorrowfully. "This is one other issue I really need to discuss with you. It's not safe to carry all the plutonuium on you. We have sometime today, though, called Mr. Fusion. It's a much safer and more effective alternative to plutonium. You see, the Mr. Fusion is capable of generating the same 1.21 gigawatts of electricity as the plutonium. You can also power the Mr. Fusion by filling it up with garbage."

"Oh, thank goodness you're here!" Doc gushed. "You really are one valuable ally. Without you, I think I would be so lost in this world. So you can replace the plutonium chamber on my DeLorean with the Mr. Fusion?"

"That's correct," replied the older Doc. "I could also hover-convert your DeLorean time machine, while I'm at it. I think, it the long run, it would be very beneficial for your time machine to have flying capabilities."

"Thank you so much," Doc replied, warmly. "Yeah, I'm still a little worried about those Libyan terrorists. I'm glad that I did decide to read the letter that Marty wrote to me in 1955. Could you maybe watch Einie, too, while I head off into the future to see if Marty's son ever gets released from jail?"

"We have suspended animation kennels, now," explained the older Doc. "It only cost 500 dollars to place Einstein in one of those, and he will never suspect that you are gone. They're very convenient."

"Wait a minute," Doc said, quietly. "Did you say _only_ 500 dollars? That sounds like a lot of money to me."

"Well, the inflation really did skyrocket within the last thirty years," the older Doc explained. "I mean, it costs 45 dollars to purchase a Pepsi at the Cafe '80s. That's how bad inflation has gotten."

"Great Scott!" gasped Doc. "So anyway, how long do you think it will take for you to hover-convert the DeLorean and replace the plutonium chamber? I'm wondering if I should maybe pay Marty a visit. I did promise to look him up."

"I'm really not sure how receptive he would be to seeing you right now," sighed the older Doc. "I'm quite afraid he harbours a certain resentment against me. I would have taken him back in time to prevent the incident, if I could."

"Well, I'm not sure what I should do," Doc replied. "I mean, what should I do, while you work on my DeLorean?"

"Why don't you head over to the rejuvination clinic?" suggested the older Doc. "We have the same thumbprint, so you can feel free to charge it to my account. You can get a whole natural overhaul there. It would include taking out a few wrinkles, doing a hair repair, and changing your blood. They could even replace your spleen and colon. It would add about a good thirty to forty years to your life."

"Oh, is that why you look so young for 95?" Doc asked. "I bet Marty would be really surprised about that. Thank you so much for helping me. I greatly appreciate that."

"Hey, that's no problem," replied the older Doc, as he hugged his younger self. "After all, we're the same person."

"Yeah, I guess we are," Doc said, laughing a little. "So you're sure you don't mind me charging you for the natural overhaul. Even if we are the same person, I can't help but feel like I'm stealing from you."

"Well, you do have my permission," the older Doc said, laughing. "I remember feeling so horrified, when I found out that Marty Jr was arrested a few days ago. It's really not fair that Griff Tannen and his gang got off scott free."

"Yeah, it really is not fair," Doc said, sighing. "So do you know anything about Marty Jr? Did Griff Tannen and his gang regularly bully Marty Jr? It appears that he had the same problem as Marty's father used to have."

"Mostly, I know that he was a very impressionable young boy who desired to be liked," replied the older Doc. "There seems to be a little resemblance that he had with his grandfather. He never really seemed to take very good care of his appearances. His hair always looked oily and unkempt, and his clothes were always a mess."

"Marty is not going to want to hear about this," Doc groaned. "He just spent the whole week trying to encourage his father to have more confidence in himself. I guess it's a good thing that I did decide to invent the time machine."

"Marty always had this problem with losing his judgement over being called a 'chicken'," the older Doc said, sadly. "It seems like, even now, he never managed to learn. I fear that his relationship with his wife may be in trouble."

"Well, anyway," Doc said, sighing, "I may as well head over to the rejuvination clinic. Then, after you finish with the time machine, I'll head two weeks into the future and see what becomes of Marty Jr."

"Good luck!" the older Doc said, warmly. "I should be finished in about two hours, I believe. I could also turn the plutonium over to the FBI, and they'll probably give me some money. I could head over to the Collectibles store and get some money for various different time periods. I think that would help you a lot."

"Thank you so much," replied the younger Doc, as he began to make his way to the rejuvination clinic. 


	2. Chapter 2

_October 26, 2015  
5:30 PM PST_

"Okay, Dr. Brown," said a femimine voice, "everything is done. Now you should feel about thirty years younger."

"Wha-, what?" Doc asked, as he opened his eyes. "What time is it? How long have I been out?"

"It is 5:30 right now," explained Dr. Moss. "Your overhaul is done. Feel free to check yourself out in the mirror."

Doc was amazed by how young and energetic he actually felt, as he sat up in the hospital bed. He slowly walked over to the mirror, and he could hardly believe what he saw. His face felt a little firmer, as there were fewer wrinkles in it. With the exception of his white hair, he looked almost the same way as he did in the 1950s.

"So what do you think?" asked Dr. Moss. "Do you notice anything different? Are you happy with the results?"

"I most certainly am," Doc said, smiling. "I'm amazed by how well the rejuvination process went. I almost feel like I need to pinch myself, to make sure that I'm not dreaming."

"Yeah, we get this a lot," replied Dr. Moss. "It's amazing how well future technology has advanced. I'll give you a mask that you can take with you. That way, you can surprise your friends."

"Thank you very much," gushed Doc. "So, uh, when would you like me to pay you?"

"You already did," Dr. Moss said, smiling. "So is there anything else that we could go for you?"

"Uh, no, I think that'll be all," replied Doc. "I should probably stop for a little something to eat."

"They're serving stuffed shells and garlic bread as their special at the Cafe '80s tonight," suggested Dr. Moss.

"Thank you so much," replied Doc. "Well, have a good evening - and thank you so much for the overhaul."

"I'm glad you like it," said Dr. Moss. "Have a safe trip home. Let me know if you should run into any problems. Not that too many people have reported having any problems, but we still want to be cautious."

Doc smiled to himself, as he stepped out of the rejuvination clinic. He was quite amazed by how much technology has advanced within the last thirty years. He could hardly wait to show off his new look to Marty. He was still baffled by how it was possible to have an older counterpart here. He decided not to worry so much about it, and that it was nice to have a useful ally that he could trust. He decided to grab a little bite at the Cafe '80s.

oooooooooo

"I see you've got yourself a nice big house," Doc commented to his older self. "So how is the DeLorean, now? I feel so strange talking to you like this. I mean, this sure gives a new meaning to the phrase 'talking to yourself'. Did you, by any chance, expect me to show up today?"

"Okay, I guess I should explain something to you," replied the older Doc. "When I first headed to this date, it was considerably different - and there wasn't another me. I'm not sure if I really did expect you to show up today, but I decided to head over to the library. I figured this would be the first place you would head off to."

"Gee, as Marty would say," Doc said, smiling a little, "this is heavy. I just realized something. Couldn't you have gone back in time, to prevent Marty from having that accident? I mean, you did have the time machine, didn't you?"

"Actually, no, I didn't," the older Doc said, somewhat sadly. "You see, when I first showed up in 2015, people were after me - because they figured that I had aided and abetted a group of Libyan terrorists. I didn't get a chance to look up Marty's older self, because I had to high-tail it back to 1985 as soon as possible."

"Gee, that could've been me," groaned Doc. "So what happened, after you returned to 1985?"

"Well, I ended up leaving the rest of the plutonium in 2015," explained the older Doc, "so, when I was finally able to head back to 1985, I no longer had any plutonium pellets to make any more trips through time. So I had abandoned the major project that I spent thirty years working on. So I dismantled the time machine right away. After the next day, when Marty had that terrible accident, then I started to greatly regret my decision."

"Well, I can understand how scared you were," Doc said, gently. "So you didn't stay in 2015 for very long?"

"No, I didn't," replied the older Doc. "I don't think I was even here for an hour. I believe Marty was pretty angry with me for giving up time travel, as I no longer had a way to prevent Marty from having the accident."

"I'll have to try talking to Marty, myself," Doc said, sighing. "I think this is quite horrible about what happened to him. Maybe it's a good thing that I did decide to head to the future."

"It wasn't good for me, though," grumbled the older Doc. "I shouldn't have been so careless. I really must warn you that you should clean up all traces that you have of plutonium, and any involvement with the Libyans."

"So is that why you decided to replace the plutonium chamber with the Mr. Fusion?" asked Doc. "Maybe, when I return to 1985, this timeline will then be erased. It almost seems like there are two divergent timelines coming together. I mean, I certain never expected to run into you. I wonder what would happen, if I decided to stay here."

"I don't think you would want to risk it," replied the older Doc. "Once the ripple effect catches up, I'll probably end up being erased from existence - and then the FBI will probably be chasing you, just like how they chased me."

"Great Scott!" gasped Doc. "How long do you think it will be until the ripple effect catches? I really was planning to take a trip two weeks into the future, to see if the fate of the McFly family changes any."

"Well, uh," replied the older Doc, "I would hazard a guess of about 24 hours. Anyway, I would certainly caution you to be extremely careful. I finished fixing up your DeLorean, though - so you can now use the Mr. Fusion in order to power the flux capacitor. All you have to do is fill it up with garbage, and it will generate the 1.21 gigawatts of electricity. I would say that it is a much safer and more effective than the plutonium chamber."

"Well, I guess I'll see you again in about two weeks," replied Doc. "I'll try to do everything I can do to help out Marty. It appears that he had a rather unhappy future, and I would really hate to see this happen to him."

"Well, good luck on your mission," replied the older Doc, smiling. "You know, perhaps it may not be all too late to create a new time machine. Then I could head back to 1985 and warn Marty about the accident. I guess I just gave up after my disasterous trip in 2015, so I never really thought to do another attempt."

"So I guess seeing me has encouraged you to give another attempt?" Doc asked, smiling.

"Yeah, I guess it did," replied the older Doc. "It will probably take me at least a couple of months to build a new time machine. I'm not sure how that would really affect you, though."

"It appears that we are from two different timelines," replied Doc. "So, if you ever make it back to 1985, it would probably be different from the timeline that I would end up returning to."

"I have to say that it's been really nice getting to talk to you," commented the older Doc. "I'm still not sure how the two of us ended up meeting each other here, but it's really nice to see you."

"It's like, in one way, we're the same person," explained Doc, "but, in another way, we are not the same. Thank you so much for everything. The hover-conversion could come in real handy, too."

The two Docs embraced each other, before the younger Doc decided to take off for two weeks into the future. Doc did feel somewhat apprehensive, as he was uncertain of what he would find out. 


	3. Chapter 3

_November 9, 2015  
1:00 PM PST_

Doc felt a little apprensive, as he drove over to his older counterpart's house. Besides worrying about the fate of his young friend's children, he began to worry that he found out too much about his own future - and how that might affect the space-time continuum. He hoped that bringing a few futuristic devices back to 1985 would not create such a serious problem. Having the Mr. Fusion attached to the DeLorean time machine was certainly much safer than having the plutonium chamber. Anyway, he was no longer limited in how many trips he could take.

Doc took a deep breath, as he walked up to his older counterpart's house. He started to worry if learning about the future from his older self might create some sort of time loop. He tried to push those thoughts out of his mind, as he rang the doorbell of his older self's home.

"Oh, it's so nice to see you again!" the older Doc gushed, as he saw his younger self. "I was feeling a bit nervous the past two weeks, wondering if I actually would see you again. I'm afraid I have some bad news for you."

"What happened, now?" Doc asked, worriedly. He wondered if more terrible disasters had struck the McFly family. Doc began to feel real bad for his young friend, and figured that he would do anything he could in order to prevent the terrible disasters that Marty seemed fated for.

"Marlene got arrested two days ago," the older Doc replied, grimly. "She made an attempt to bust her brother out of jail, and she got caught. So Marlene is now been sentenced to twenty years in jail, without possibility of parole."

"That is terrible," Doc groaned. "How are Marty and Jennifer handling this? Did Marty end up marrying Jennifer? The two of them have been dating for a couple years, now - and I wouldn't be too surprised, if they did marry."

"Yes, he did," replied the older Doc. "Unfortunately, though, it was not a very happy marriage. The two of them are filing for divorce, now - and Marty moved in with his parents. I have spent the last two weeks figuring out my plan on building a new time machine. It's amazing that I remembered how to make the flux capacitor. I really hope to get this done before Christmas this year. It really breaks my heart to see Marty's life deteriorating like that. He did have such a promising future, when he was seventeen. Then, he had that horrible accident."

"I probably shouldn't let Marty see his older self," Doc suggested, quietly. "I think what I'll do is, I'll go back to the date where Griff's gang convinces Marty Jr to commit the robbery. After I figure out when that event occurs, I'll then go back to 1985 and pick up Marty. Maybe if I have Marty pose as his son, and I encourage him to stand up to Griff, he might then learn his lesson about how he shouldn't let other people push him around."

"Yeah, I think that could work," replied the older Doc. "Marty's son is the spitting image of him, after all. Marty certainly could learn a very valuable lesson that way. So you only plan to tell him about the fate of his children? You're not going to tell him about his own fate, as well?"

"No, that would probably only make things worse," Doc said, sighing. "Ultimately, he will need to learn how to make wise choices - and to not lose his judgement, everytime that he is called a name. He's my good friend, and I really do care about him. Seeing this bleak future of Marty's is very depressing for me, you know."

"Yeah, well, think of what it was like for me," the older Doc said, wistfully. "I really did hurt me to see Marty's life go way downhill. As much as I really wanted to give time travel another attempt, in order to help my friend, I certainly did not want to go through the whole deal with the terrorists and the FBI again. By the time that I... By the time that fusion was invented, I did think of giving time travel another attempt. Then I was very worried about if it really was worth it. I didn't want to end up making things even worse, and Jennifer was pregnant with Marlene at the time. I figured that becoming a father might encourage Marty to become more responsible."

"Well, I guess I'll go grab a bit at the Cafe 80s," Doc said, sighing. "Then I will look up Marty. You said that he just moved in with his parents? Do they still live at their home at Lyon Estates?"

"Not anymore," replied the older Doc. "They now live on Maple Drive, just a block from where I... we... grew up at. It is now a subsidized housing area for senior citizens. Anyway, I feel quite bad about having to give you such bad news - but I guess you'll be able to fix that, easily."

"I sure hope so," replied Doc. He thought of how it was Marty who saved his life from the Libyan terrorists. It was only fair of him to return the favour to his friend. "Well, I guess I'd better go grab a bit at the Cafe '80s - and then I might pick up a few items for myself. You know, when I had that overhaul done two weeks ago, they knocked me out with some sleep-inducing device. Do you know if it's available for commercial use?"

"Yeah, it is," replied the older Doc. "It is called the sleep-inducing alpha-rhythm generator. It only costs around 800 dollars. Feel free to charge it to my account. I'm quite loaded, and I sure have more money than I know what to do with. Anyway, I'm always more than happy to help out another counterpart of me."

"Thank you once again," gushed Doc, as he embraced his older self. He then took off for the Cafe '80s.

oooooooooo

As Doc parked at the Cafe '80s, he wondered what Marty would think of that place. It didn't seem done up very well, and it did get rather frustrating dealing with all the video waitors. He wondered whatever happened to the good old human service of the past. Doc was unsure of if he was really looking forward to the future.

He decided to order stuffed shells and garlic bread again. At least the food at the Cafe '80s tasted good. He would even order a Pepsi Perfect to go with the meal. He wondered how hard it could be to put vitamins into a soft drink.

He was amazed to see that the place was filled with teenagers. Maybe the kids in the future had a real appreciation for their parents' generation. Doc realized that he must have looked out of place among all these teenagers. He was really savouring the taste of the stuffed shells, as some voices from the next table over caught his attention.

"Hey, Brent," said a feminine voice, "so how are you dealing with the arrest of your two cousins? I must say that I feel bad for Marlene and Marty. I wonder what it must be like to be behind bars."

"I feel really bad for them, too, Melinda," replied Brent. "I feel so bad for Marty. He always did seem so insecure about himself. It's like he didn't even take any pride in his appearences."

"Oh, uh, excuse me?" Doc asked, as he turned around. "Brent, did you say that you're related to Marty and Marlene?"

"I certainly am," replied Brent, warmly. "Linda McFly is my mother, and Uncle Marty's family has always been rather dysfunctional. Marty used to hang out here all the time, and Griff and his gang would often harass him. It semed as though Marty always felt this desire to be liked by Griff and his gang. I think Griff and his gang should have been the ones arrested, not Marty. It's just not real fair, you know."

"Why don't you come sit with us?" invited Melinda. "I was even here, when Griff came in here to ask if Marty made a decision about that night's opportunity. It's rather hard to forget that day. I was riding on one of the stationary bikes, and I watched that whole exchange take place. I think it was around quarter to five that it happened."

"Melinda told me all about it," added Brent. "She told me that she really wanted to stand up to Griff and the gang, but she was concerned that they might seriously injure her."

"I wish I hadn't been such a coward, now," Melinda said, sighing. "I was real fond of that young man. It's really a shame that they have abolished all lawyers, now. Otherwise, Marty could have had someone appeal on his behalf."

"Thanks for telling me, everything," commented Doc. "I guess I should, uh, go visit Marty and Marlene in jail. This is such an awful thing to have happened to them."

"Yeah, tell me about it," Brent said, grimacing. "Uncle Marty and Aunt Jennifer are filing for divorce, now. As far back as I can remember, their relationship has always been strained."

Doc sighed to himself. He needed to pick up a few items, including the sleep-inducing generator. He could knock out Marty Jr with that device, while Marty from 1985 would just take his place. He would then pay Marty a little visit. 


	4. Chapter 4

_November 9, 2015  
3:30 PM PST_

Doc felt a little nervous, as he approached the front door to the house where Marty lived with his parents. Would Marty remember that Doc promised to look him up in the future. Would he react with shock or anger? Did he ever tell Jennifer or the kids about the time machine? He reached out to ring the doorbell, and waited.

"Is that you, Dr. Brown?" asked an older woman, as she answered the door. Doc figured that she was Lorraine, thirty years older.

"Oh, hello, Lorraine," replied Doc. "I was wondering if Marty was home right now."

"Oh, my son?" Lorraine asked, quietly. "You know, he really hasn't talked about you in a long time. I must warn you that he hasn't exactly been in the best of moods these days. I'm sure you remember that accident he has thirty years ago. I don't he ever really got over it."

"Oh, yeah, that is a real shame," Doc said, sadly. "So is he home? I really would like to talk to him, and touch base with him a little."

"He's probably in his room, sulking," Lorraine said, rolling her eyes. "I'll see if he wants to talk with you. I can't promise you anything. I really think my son could use a little bit of councilling, but he would just get angry and defensive if I was to suggest to him anything that sounded remotely like 'see a shrink'. On top of being fired and having two kids in jail, Jennifer is now filing for a divorce from him."

"I'm so sorry to hear that," Doc replied. "I guess there's no possibility he might listen to me then, eh?"

"I highly doubt it," Lorraine said, shaking her head. "I don't think he really listens to anyone these days. Why don't you go into the living room and make yourself feel at home? I'll go get Marty, and see if he's receptive to seeing anyone."

"Thanks, Lorraine," Doc replied, as he stepped into the living room. He immediately noticed a beautiful sunset in the window. It seemed so realistic, but he knew it wasn't that time of day, yet.

"Broadcasting beautiful views 24 hours a day," came a computerized voice, "you're tuned to the Scenery Channel."

_Oh, that must be like a window TV, or something_, Doc thought, to himself.

"Dr. Brown?" asked a masculine voice. Even though the voice sounded older, he was able to discern who the voice belonged to. "Is that you, Doc?"

"Hi, Marty!" Doc greeted, with enthusiasm. "Could we maybe talk someplace a little private. It's about, uh, well... Remember the term 'flux capacitor'? We need to talk about that. I promised that I would look you up, and I did."

"Oh, uh, well," Marty said, nervously, "we could talk in my bedroom. My life has not been all that great within the last thirty years. I really wish I could go back in time and undo that accident, you know."

"Okay, let's go your room - and we'll talk," Doc said, gently. It was quite obvious to him that Marty was hinting that he wanted to use the time machine. He couldn't quite do that for his friend, though. It might make things worse, and possibly even create a paradox. Maybe he could tell Marty what his older self told him, though.

"Excuse the mess," Marty said, sheepishly, as he opened the door to his bedroom. "I really haven't felt much like doing anything these days."

"I understand," Doc said, gently. "My older self explained a little bit to me about what happened - as did your nephew, Brent. Of course, Brent doesn't know about the time machine. So you got fired two weeks ago?"

"Yeah, I did," Marty said, miserably. "It happened on the 21st of last month, just the night before my son was arrested for attempted robbery. Needles really pushed me into letting him illegally scan my card. Unfortunately, our boss was watching us - and he fired me. I didn't want people to think that I was a chicken, though."

"This is your problem, Marty," Doc said, sighing. "You tend to lose your judgement, whenever people call you a name. That's how you got into that accident thirty years ago. Don't you see what happened to you, Marty? It was the one event that started a chain reaction that led to your personal failure, and destroyed your entire family."

"Don't I know it?" Marty muttered. After taking a deep swallow, Marty asked, "You don't suppose it's possible that I can..."

"That's entirely out of the question," Doc replied. "If I let you go back in time so that you can undo your accident, it might only make things worse than they already are. Furthermore, because I'm not from your timeline, this could create a time paradox."

"Oh, that's a bummer," Marty muttered, looking very depressed.

"However, there is something you can do," Doc continued. He decided against telling Marty that his older self considered creating a new time machine. He figured that his friend really needed to start taking responsibility for his own life, and not just rely on the possibility that there might be a time machine.

"What is it, Doc?" Marty asked, nervously. "Are you going to yell at me?"

"Of course not," Doc replied, placing his hand on Doc's shoulder. "Marty, if I tell you something, will you listen to me? Do you promise not to get angry or defensive?"

"Yes, Doc, I'll listen," Marty said, quietly. "I won't get angry. I promise."

"Okay, then," Doc said, quietly, "you might want to start with accepting responsibility for your own actions, and not always blaming everyone else but yourself. It's really not too late to turn your life around, you know."

Marty didn't say anything. Doc braced himself for Marty to lash out at him.

"Do you understand how important this is, Marty?" Doc asked. "I'm telling you all of this for your own good, you know. I really do care about you, Marty - but you really need to start taking responsibility for your own actions. Marty, you're not a teenager, anymore. You are 47 years old. You should start being a man about this."

Marty remained quiet. Suddenly, tears filled his slate-blue eyes and his lips began to tremble. He threw his arms around Doc and wept brokenly. Doc was blinking back his own tears, as he comforted his friend. After about fifteen minutes, Marty finally stopped crying - and he lifted up his head to look at Doc.

"I'm sorry for, uh..." Marty said, blushing. "I'm sorry that I fell apart like this."

"There's no need to apologize," Doc said, softly. "Do you understand everything I told you, though?"

"Yes, I do," Marty said, quietly. "Doc, I do need help."

_Yes!_ Doc thought, to himself. To Marty, he said, "Well, Marty, it looks like you have finally taken the first step. You admitted that you need help."

"What do I do, though, Doc?" Marty asked, in desperation. "Can you help me through this, Doc? I'm sorry about our friendship drifting apart."

"Well, I have to return to my own time, soon," Doc explained, "but I'm sure that my older self that is native to this era would be more than happy to help you through all of this. He told me that he really misses you a lot. You might also want to talk with your parents about this."

"I will, Doc," Marty said, with a small smile. "It's been nice talking to you. I feel like a burden has finally been listed from me. It's probably a little too late for Jennifer and I to reconcile our marriage - but I could at least apologize to her, and possibly make our divorce amicable."

"Good for you, Marty!" Doc said, as he hugged his friend one more time. "Now I think you know what you need to do, Marty. I should start head back to my time, now."

"Thank you for talking to me, Doc," Marty said, smiling. "Have a safe trip back!"

"I will," replied Doc. "Take good care of yourself!"

As Doc made his way back to the DeLorean, he remembered that he left Einstein in a suspended animation kennel. He should get his dog, first - and then he could head back to three in the afternoon on October 21 of 2015. That should give him enough time to put Einstein in an animated suspended kennel, run a few errands, and head to the Cafe '80s. He was not looking forward to seeing Griff Tannen, though. 


	5. Chapter 5

_October 21, 2015  
3:00 PM PST_

As soon as Doc's DeLorean broke the time barrier, the first thing he did was bring Einstein over to the animated suspended kennel. This time, he would only leave his dog there for about two hours - not that Einstein would notice, though! He decided to head over to the future home of his older self. He hoped that his older self would not be shocked by the sight of him. He felt very nervous, as he rang the doorbell.

"Who is it?" asked the voice of his older self.

"It's your younger self," Doc replied, "from thirty years ago."

Within a few minutes, his older self finally answered the door.

"I guess you weren't kidding!" gasped Doc's older self. "I wasn't really expecting to see you, until five days later."

"Oh, well, listen," replied Doc. "I initially did travel to that date. However, it was on that date that I found out something terrible was going to happen on this date. Marty's son is going to commit a robbery tonight - and, apparently, the whole thing starts at the Cafe '80s. So I came back here to observe the event. Then I plan to head back to 1985, and bring him to this date so that he can stop the event from ever happening. See this newspaper? It's tomorrow's paper."

"Great Scott!" Doc's older self gasped, as he took a close look at the newspaper. "So you said that you initially did arrive five days from today?"

"Yeah, I did," Doc replied. "We met at the library. You already told me about what happened, when you first travelled to the future. You even offered to hover-convert my car, as well as replace the plutonium chamber with the Mr. Fusion. I hope you don't mind, but I charged your account to leave Einstein in an suspended animation kennel. I need to run a few other errands, before I head to the Cafe '80s."

"Just name it," Doc's older self said, smiling.

"All right then," Doc replied, taking a deep breath. "I was wondering if you could turn the rest of these plutonium pellets in, and get them exchanged for money. Also, I'm planning to take a few trips into the past - so I need to be prepared for all monetary possibilities. Could you do that for me?"

"Sure, that won't be a problem at all," replied Doc's older self. "So around what time do you think you'll be back here?"

"I should be back here around quarter after five or so," Doc replied. "I'm just about to head off for the Cafe '80s."

"I'll be waiting for you, then," Doc's older self said, smiling.

"See ya, then," Doc replied, as he took off for his DeLorean. He was not looking forward to seeing the incident between Marty Jr and Griff.

oooooooooo

Doc could barely believe his eyes, as he saw who stepped into the Cafe '80s. He knew right away that this boy must be Marty Jr. He looked just like his father did - except that his clothes were a mess, and his hair was unkempt.

He then glanced in the back, as he saw that Melinda was on one of the exercise bikes. She was there to witness what was about to happen to Marty Jr.

"Pepsi Perfect," Marty Jr said, to one of the video waitors.

_Well, his voice sounds a little different_, Doc thought. This boy seemed a little insecure about himself. He didn't seem to share his father's confidence.

Just then, Doc saw an old man with a cane walking up towards Marty Jr. Something about that man did make Doc feel a little bit uneasy.

"Hey, McFly!" the old man called out. As Marty Jr turned around, the old man added, "Yeah, I seen you around. You're Marty McFly's kid, aren't you?"

_That must be Biff Tannen!_ Doc thought, to himself.

"Uh, yeah, I am," Marty Jr replied, nervously.

"You're Marty Jr!" Biff continued. "Tough break kid, must be rough being named after a complete butthead."

"Well, he's my father," Marty Jr said, wimpering a little, "and I love him."

"I see you're just like your old man," Biff sneered. "It must run in the genes. All of you McFlys are the same. Although, I could see that at least Dave and Linda made something of themselves. The same can't be said of your old man, however."

"Whatever you say, buddy," Marty Jr said, as he walked away.

Just then, a tough boy stormed in, and yelled, "Hey Gramps, I told you two coats of wax on my car, not just one!"

_That must be Griff_, Doc thought, to himself.

Biff got up and said, "Hey, hey, I just put the second coat on last week."

"Yeah, with your eyes closed?" sneered Griff. When Biff didn't say anything, Griff groused, "Gramps, what the hell am I paying you for?"

"Say hello to your grandma for me," Biff told Marty Jr.

"Get out of there, Gramps!" Griff ordered his grandfather, pulling him out of the cafe.

"Hey, take it easy!" Biff protested.

Just then, Griff came back in and shouted, "Hey, McFly, don't go anywhere! You're next!"

Doc felt the urge to warn Marty Jr to not accept Griff on his offer, but he figured that Marty Jr wouldn't really listen. Besides, he had to see how the whole scene played out. He figured that Marty would be horrified to see how his future son turned out. As he waited for Griff and the gang to re-enter the cafe, he made note of everything Marty Jr was wearing - and jotted it onto a pad of paper.

"McFly!" Griff called out, as he re-entered the Cafe.

"Yeah?" Marty Jr asked, nervously.

"McFly!" Griff repeated.

"What?" asked Marty Jr.

"Your shoe's unvelked," called out Griff. As Marty Jr looked down, Griff punched him. The gang laughed, while Marty Jr fell onto the counter.

"Uh-huh!" Marty Jr mumbled.

Griff pulled Marty Jr up, and asked, "So McFly, have you made a decision about tonight's opportunity?"

_Ugh, no_, Doc thought to himself. "Here it goes."

"Um, yeah, Griff," Marty Jr said, nervously, "you know, I was thinking about it - and I'm not sure, because I just think it might just be a little bit dangerous.

The tough blonde felt Marty Jr's face with her finger, as he groaned a bit.

"What's wrong, McFly?" sneered the blonde. "You got no scrote?"

Spike moved her hand, so it dug into Marty Jr's private area.

"Ooh!" moaned Marty Jr, as he fell on the counter - while Griff's gang laughed. "Ahh!"

As Marty Jr got up, Griff asked, "So what's it going to be, McFly? Are you in, or out?"

"Um, I just, um, um," Marty Jr said, whimpering, "I'm not sure that I should, you know - because I think that I should discuss it with my father."

"Your father?" the gang asked, in unison.

"Wrong answer, McFly!" sneered Griff, as he threw Marty Jr over the counter.

"Okay, Griff, I'll do it," Marty Jr whimpered. "I'll do it buddy, whatever you say."

"Good," Griff replied. "Let's go, then."

"All right, then, buddy," replied Marty Jr, as he followed the gang out of the Cafe.

Doc sighed to himself, unable to believe what just happened. He knew he had to make a stop at the department store, so that he could purchase the clothes that Marty Jr was wearing.

oooooooooo

"So, how did everything go?" Doc's older self asked.

"Griff asked Marty's son if he made a decision about tonight's opportunity," Doc said, sighing. "Marty Jr was hesitant at first, but he finally accepted. At least I now know how this starts, so I went to purchase the clothes that Marty was wearing."

"So you plan to have Marty from 1985 step in for his son," asked the older Doc.

"Precisely," replied Doc. "Now, I don't know if you'll be seeing my slightly younger self in five days - but, if you do, you must not mention anything about today to him."

"Right, I won't," replied Doc's older self. "We don't want to create a paradox. At any rate, I turned in the plutonium - and I got you this briefcase full of money."

"Thank you so much," replied Doc. "I guess I should head back to 1985 and go grab Marty. I'll just leave Einstein in the suspended animation kennel here, and I'll grab him when I come back."

"Okay, then," the older Doc said, smiling. "I hope everything works out for you."

"So long," Doc replied, as he headed out to the DeLorean.

After Doc stepped into the DeLorean, he decided to set the destination time for 10:50 PM on October 26. He figured that Marty should still be awake by then. Doc began to pilot the DeLorean into the sky, until he reached 88 miles per hour - then the DeLorean broke the time barrier.

One thing that Doc didn't realize, was that he had mistakingly set the time circuits for 10:50 _AM_!


End file.
